SELF-DISCLOSURE BY STUDENTS TO TEACHERS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF STORIES OF FACULTY.
Contributors: Georgia State University.
Published: 1995
Number of pages: 268
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Education.; Education, Educational Psychology.
Description: The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study was to explore nurse educators' understandings of experiences of student self-disclosure. This study will contribute knowledge related to self-disclosure within the student-teacher relationship.

The participants, 11 European-American and 3 African-American women, were asked to describe their experiences with student self-disclosure. Interviews were analyzed using a modified Colaizzi method. Trustworthiness and authenticity criteria were used to demonstrate methodological rigor.

From the interpretation of the interview texts, three patterns with related themes were identified. The first pattern, Creating the Context For Knowing, included three themes: (1) "The Door Is Open", (2) "Intentionally In Teaching", and (3) "And Then The Dam Breaks". These themes described participants' stories of creating a context for student self-disclosure. The second pattern, Knowing: "What Do I Do With What I Know?", was comprised of three themes: (1) "Why Are You Telling Me This?", (2) "What Do I Do With This Information?", and (3) "You Can Be Of Help To Them". These themes related the participants' stories of what is done with information learned during students' disclosures. The third pattern, "Privileged Intimacy": How Knowing Affects Teachers And The Teaching-Learning Situation, included four themes: (1) "A Heavy, Heavy Burden", (2) "You Still Have To Exact The Standard", (3) "Risk", and (4) "Both Of Us Grew As A Result". Within these themes were stories of ways in which participants were affected by students' disclosures.

Conclusions from the study included: self-disclosure may be an effective teaching-learning strategy in the classroom; a context for self-disclosure may be created by the teacher, either intentionally or unintentionally; self-disclosure by students creates dilemmas and burdens for teachers.

Recommendations included the need for guidelines for faculty in dealing with students' disclosures and measures for self-care. Further research is needed to understand experiences of self-disclosure from the perspectives of students.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-03, Section: B, page: 1716.

Thesis (PH.D.)--GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY, 1995.

School code: 0079.